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Were They Found?

Pastor — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:00:28 +0000

Were they found? Not likely, but Sunday evening (U.S. East coast time), Hollywood director James Cameron went where only two other men have gone before–the Mariana Trench. Cameron has been an oceanography enthusiast since his childhood and has made 72 deep sea submersible dives. Cameron made thirty-three of his dives to the wreckage of the Titanic. This time, Cameron entered the 12 ton specially designed sub called the Deepsea Challenger, and descended 35,756 feet (7 miles) into the Mariana Trench which is located 200 miles southwest of the Pacific island of Guam. The descent took two hours and 36 minutes into the deepest part of the sea, which is 120 times larger than the Grand Canyon and more than a mile deeper than Mount Everest is tall. The dive was scheduled for 6 hours, but Cameron spent only 3 hours before returning to the surface in a 70-minute ascent. While on the bottom of the ocean, Cameron collected samples for research in marine biology, microbiology, astrobiology, marine geology, geophysics, and course a great deal of film footage to be aired at a later date. But there is no mention that while Cameron was in the depths of the sea that he found them. “Find what?” you might ask. Our sins!

You see, the Bible says that God has cast our sins in the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), just like he has removed our transgressions as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). These expressions are not literal, but figures of speech to communicate how completely God has forgiven us our sins. The fact that our sins can be forgiven so completely is not based on anything we can do, but on the character and action of incomparable God for Micah 7:18-19a says “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity, and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities,” and Psalm 103:11 “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him.” The apostle Paul says that God canceled our sins by nailing them to the cross of Jesus Christ (Col. 2:13-14)!

James Cameron, and no one else will ever find our sins that have been forgiven by God, so rejoice and be thankful!

Resources:
Staff. 2012. James Cameron begins 7–mile dive. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews
Staff. 2012. James Cameron dives 7 miles into Mariana Trench. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews
Scripture taken from NKJV

Continuing to Speak

Pastor — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:22:23 +0000

Jack Froese died suddenly at the age of 32 in June of 2011 of heart arrhythmia, but a strange occurrence has taken place. Some of Froese’s closest friends and family members have received emails six months later from his account. Even stranger is the content of the emails. The messages contained things that Froese last discussed with them before his death, and they take on the form of warnings, challenges, and encouragements. When questioned about the emails, Froese’s mother told the recipients to accept the emails as a gift. She goes on to say, “I saw they made people happy, they upset some people, but I see it as people were still talking about him.” Although the source of the emails is unknown, the mother’s statements seem to be revealing.

Perhaps speaking from beyond the grave in this instance is a little unusual, but it does illustrate the point of how our life message can continue to speak to others long after we are gone. The Bible tells us of the man Abel, whose life continues to speak beyond the grave. Hebrews 11:4 says “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.” The last part of the verse says, “…he being dead still speaks.” Abel was a man of faith who worshiped God by faith, and that life of faith has continued to speak to future generations long after he passed away. What a great testimony! What will your life continue to say after you are gone? What you say and how you live now will determine what you will continue to speak once you are deceased. So, consider carefully what you want to continue to speak once you are gone!

Resources:
Moye, David. 2012. Mystery Emails Sent By Jack Froese After His Death Have Loved Ones Overjoyed, Mystified. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Scripture taken from NKJV

Face to Face

Pastor — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:20:44 +0000

Scientists have discovered in research with the paper wasp (Polistes fuscatus) that they can recognize and remember another’s faces with high accuracy. Michael Sheehan, a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor has documented in a study that an individual in a species can recognize its kin by many different means, but face recognition is extremely important to especially humans. Sheehan has discovered that when we look at a face, our brains treat it a totally different way than it does other images. He found that Wasps’ brains do the same thing even though they have a much less complex social structure. The study revealed of the Wasps that “face images” acted as signposts, telling the subjects which way to go to get their reward and which way was a safety zone. Sheehan said of his wasp study that “They learned, if [they] went to this face, that’s good, but the other face does nothing good for me.” Sheehan is correct when he says that facial recognition is extremely important to people, especially when it comes to God.

The Bible speaks of many face to face encounters, but it shows us through a number of individuals that the most important face to face encounter we can have is with God. Jacob was a trickster and schemer all of his life until one day he came face to face with God in a wrestling match. It was there that Jacob confessed his true self as a schemer, and was given a name change to reflect the change in his life which was now, Israel (Prince with God or God-governed man). He named the place Peniel (Face of God), because it is where he had seen God face to face (Gen. 32:30). Moses is another individual as the leader of the nation of Israel who would go to what was called the Tent of Meeting. Moses would enter the tent to meet with God to ask Him for His grace and blessing for the nation. It was here that God would speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend. This meeting of Moses with God speaks of the openness, friendship, and intimacy that one can have with God (Exodus 33:11). Gideon was another that came face to face with the Angel of the LORD, and when he did, he spoke of his fear of imminent death. God graciously assured him of success, and filled him with peace. Because of this encounter and its results, Gideon built an altar and named it The LORD is Peace (Judges 6:22-23). Isaiah the prophet saw the LORD on His throne, and it resulted in his confession of sin and his invitation to be commissioned by God (Isa. 6:2). Then, the Apostle Paul said in the context of his discussion on love that our knowledge now is partial, but one day it will give way to being perfect when we see Jesus as He is-face to face (1 Cor. 13:12; 1 Cor. 15:28; 1 John 3:2). Until that day when we see Jesus face to face we walk by faith, but should continually seek the face of God where there is found His blessing and favor or His good (Num. 6:24-26). May God’s face shine upon you today!

Resources:
Kraus, Jim. 2012. Memory of a Wasp. Carol Stream: Tyndale.
Bible Knowledge Commentary. Libronix Digital Library.
Wiersbe, Warren. Libronix Digital Library.
Scripture taken from NKJV

‘At A Boy / ‘At A Girl

Pastor — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:41:18 +0000

There is perhaps no greater feeling of satisfaction when completing a task than to hear words of appreciation, especially from superiors. Some of those expressions may be as follows: ‘at a boy/girl, way to go, good job, great, terrific, awesome, super, excellent, and well done! This desire for a sense of satisfaction extends beyond our earthly existence into eternity for a life that is well done as Christians. I possess a picture that was given to me a number of years ago by a colleague that is an artist’s conception of Jesus welcoming a believer to Heaven. The picture shows the saint being hugged by Jesus with an expression on His face that says “Welcome home! Well done!” Yesterday, a member of the Christian community, Hall of Fame major league baseball player, Gary Carter went home to Heaven. Carter has been battling brain cancer since last May which took a turn for the worst this past Christmas. Carter has been known for his strong Christian testimony inside and outside of baseball. A brief version of his testimony is below:
The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God’s Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement of all. God offers each of us the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. When we accept God’s gift of salvation, our name is written in the Book of Life, guaranteeing us a place in heaven forever. I made that decision during spring training in 1973, asking Jesus to come into my heart as Lord and Savior. I first realized that when Jesus died on the cross, He died for me and paid for my sins. Accepting His payment on my behalf was all I needed to do since I couldn’t earn my way into heaven, no matter how good I tried to be. You can become a member of God’s Hall of Fame too, by making the decision I made back then—placing your trust in Jesus as your Savior. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.” (John 14:6)
After Carter slipped out into eternity to be with Jesus, his daughter, Kimmy Bloemers issued a statement which was as follows:
I am deeply saddened to tell you all that my precious dad went to be with Jesus today at 4:10 p.m. This is the most difficult thing I have ever had to write in my entire life but I wanted you all to know. He is in heaven and has reunited with his mom and dad. I believe with all my heart that dad had a STANDING OVATION as he walked through the gates of heaven to be with Jesus.
Gary Carter’s life and testimony indicates that he was welcomed into Heaven by Jesus with “Well done good and faithful servant!” To hear those same words by Jesus (Matt. 25:23) should be our goal and longing. So, live your life in such a way that you too will one day hear those words, and have the satisfaction that you pleased your Lord and Savior (2 Cor. 5:9)!

Resources:
Hall of Famer Gary Carter dies at 57. 2012. Retrieved from http://www.espn.go.com
Player Testimonies. 2012. Retrieved from http://www.baseballchapel.org
Scripture taken from NKJV

An Act of Love

Pastor — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:17:48 +0000

Today people are showing love for their sweetheart with cards, flowers, candy, dinner out, gifts and a variety of other ways. One demonstration of true love is seen in an action performed by Diane Aulger of Plano, Texas. Diane’s husband Mark had been diagnosed with colon cancer last April, but his health began to deteriorate in January after a pervious surgery and six months of chemotherapy which badly damaged his lungs. Mark had an episode that required a trip to the emergency room in early January, but by mid-January the doctors delivered the bad news that Mark’s condition was fatal and he would only survive another 5 to 6 days. Wife Diane was eight months pregnant with their fifth child, and you might say Mark’s dying request was to be able to see the baby. The baby was due at the end of January and they had planned for a natural birth, but in light of the circumstances the doctor suggested an induced labor. With no hesitation, Diane agreed and two days later she gave birth to a healthy girl. Mark got to hold his daughter for the next couple of days until he slipped into a coma, and then passed away two days later. Diane and the baby were by Mark’s side when he passed away, and though grieving from the loss, she also was heartened to know the joy this act of love brought to her husband and how it impacted others.

The Bible tells us that God demonstrated His great love toward us-sinner through the cross of Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:8; John 3:16), for there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for his friends (John 15:13). It also says that the demonstration of this same kind of love by Christians for other Christians is one of the great testimonies that we are disciples of Jesus Christ (John 13:35). The late Christian apologist, Francis Schaeffer said that love is the final apologetic. It is the defense for which there is no defense. So Christian friend, in the midst of our busy and often chaotic lives, may we be sure to consistently and intentionally perform acts of Christian love!

Resources:
Evans, Tony. 2009. Tony Evans’ book of Illustrations: stories, quotes, and anecdotes. Chicago: Moody.
Staff of CBS News. 2012. Diane Augler induces labor weeks early to let dying husband Mark hold baby. Retrieved from http://cbsnews.com
Scripture from NKJV

Stalked

Pastor — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:44:46 +0000

A 6-year-old Texas boy by the name of Rivers Hobbs was walking with his family to their room from the main lodge at the Big Bend National Park when a mountain lion suddenly attacked. Rivers told officials at the National Park station that the lion snuck up on him, and then attacked. The boy’s father, Jason Hobbs came to the rescue by jumping on the lion to try to free his son from its grip, but the lion had clamped his jaws down on the boys face. Jason Hobbs then drew his pocket knife out and stabbed the lion in the chest which caused him to release the boy and flee. The boy suffered wounds that took 17 stitches to close, and will have to go through a series of rabies shots, but is expected to fully recover.

This incident illustrates the fact that Christians are being stalked constantly by the Enemy, who if he has the opportunity will devour us like a lion (1 Peter 5:8). Thankfully, our Lord has warned us to always be on guard and prayerful (Mark 14:38) with regard to the subtle temptations of the Enemy, as well as providing us with the necessary equipment to engage the Enemy when he attacks (Eph. 6:10-18). We can also be assured of our Heavenly Father’s help in our time of need (1 Cor. 10:13), and ultimate victory (1 John 4:4)!

Resources:

Texas boy, 6, attacked by mountain lion at Big Bend National Park. 2012. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com
Scripture taken from NKJV

What’s The Plan?

Pastor — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:41:18 +0000

An old man asked a young boy, “What are you going to do with your life?” The young boy replied, “I’m going to college and get a business degree.” The old man said, “Well, what then?” “Oh! Then I’m going up to New York and I’m going to work on Wall Street, Become a broker, and then become a millionaire.” “Oh! OK! And what then?” The boy continued, “Then I’m going to buy myself a fine house. I may try to retire early so that I can enjoy the good life.” “What then?” “Well then, after that, I’m just going to party, relax, and enjoy my grandkids.” “Alright. What then?” “I guess after all of that, I’m gonna die.” The old man smiled wryly and looked the young boy in the eyes. “What then?” It is one thing to enjoy the life that God has given to us (Ecc. 8:15-17), but do we have a plan in place for when this life is over (Ecc. 12:1, 13-14)?

Jesus was asked to judge an inheritance dispute between two brothers, but in turn, He offered this story in Luke 12:13-21:

Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness,for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Don’t play the fool! Make sure you have a plan in place for eternity (Luke 12:23; John 3:16; John 14:1-6; Romans 6:23; 10:9-13)?

Resources:

Evans, Tony, Tony Evan’s Book of Illustrations. Chicago: Moody.

Scripture taken from NKJV

What Is It That Compels Us?

Pastor — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:15:20 +0000

Jessica Buchanan, 32, fell in love with the continent of Africa as a student teacher before graduating from Valley Forge University in 2007. She would later sell all she had to become a missionary in Somalia. Jessica and her Danish colleague were kidnapped on October 23, 2011 by Somali bandits. Concerns about a deteriorating health issue in Jessica’s life hatched the rescue plan, which was successfully executed by U.S. Special Forces this week. A number of comments have been offered in reference to Jessica’s character and commitment, but perhaps Rev. Don Meyer, dean of Valley Forge University, makes the one statement that summarizes her life. He said, “She fell in love with Africa . . . She could hardly talk about Africa without tears in her eyes.”

Jessica Buchanan is a living example of what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, and the Psalmist in Psalm 126:6 respectively

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

He who continually goes forth weeping, ?Bearing seed for sowing, ?Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, ?Bringing his sheaves with him.

A. W. Tozer wrote the following about serving God in this world:

The psalmists often wrote in tears, the prophets could hardly conceal their heavyheartedness, and the Apostle Paul in is otherwise joyous epistle to the Philippians, broke into tears when he thought of the many who were enemies of the cross of Christ and whose end was destructions. Those Christian leaders who shook the world were one and all men of sorrows whose witness to mankind welled out of heavy hearts: There is no power in tears per se, but tears and power ever the close together in the Church of the First-born.

It is the heart filled with the love of Christ, and eyes filled with tears that should compel us to go to the lost world with the saving gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Resources:
Radatz, Martha. Martinez, Luis, and Erin McLaughlin. 2012. Buchanan Sold Her Belongings to Become Missionary. Retrieved from http://www.abcnews.com
Wiersbe, Warren. 2000. The Best of A.W. Tozer. Camp Hill: Wing Spread.
Scripture from NKJV

Regardless of the Form

Pastor — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:34:00 +0000

What form of the Scriptures do you use? Is it the traditional form of bound pages with gilded edges with a leather cover or is it an electronic version? I read an article entitled, How the Physical Form of a Bible Shapes Us: The book influences the way Christians use their sacred book. It provides a brief history of different forms of the Bible from the multivolume Bibles that sat in churches, monasteries, and rich men’s libraries before the Reformation to one-volume pandects of the New Testament that came off the press early in the Reformation period. The one-volume Bible was revolutionary, because it marked a shift from a communal reading of Scripture to its individual use. Another significant physical production of the Bible was the Family Bible in 1735. These Bibles were produced to provide study helps to answer questions, and stimulate families to center their common devotions on the Bible. It was not long before people found other uses for these Bible like pressing flowers, preserving locks of hair, protecting other keepsakes, and recording a family’s history. The physical forms of the Bible have changed over time in order to reach those that otherwise might not pick up a copy of the Scriptures and use it. Today there are electronic forms for computers, smartphones, iPads, and the like. You may be techy and prefer the newer electronic forms or you may like the traditional leather-bound pages. The physical form of the Bible is really not what matters, unless one form over another causes you to use it. That’s what is really important!

You see, it is the Scriptures that will make you wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15), cause you to grow spiritually (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 2:2), keep you from sinning (Psalm 119:11), guide you in God’s way (Psalm 119:105), and make you blessed, successful, fruitful, and to prosper in God’s will (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1). So, spend some time in God’s Word each day, regardless of the physical form!

Resources:
Neff, David. 2012. How the Physical Form of a Bible Shapes Us: The book influences the way Christians use their sacred book. Retrieved from http://www.christianitytoday.com
Scripture taken from NKJV

3:16

Pastor — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:31:28 +0000

Whether you are an NFL football fan or not, this is worthy noting. The Denver Bronco’s Christian quarterback, Tim Tebow led his team to an overtime playoff victory over the favored Pittsburgh Steelers this past weekend. The amazing thing about this accomplishment besides the underdog victory was Tebow’s game statistics. The official record book states that Tebow passed the ball for 316 yards in the game, completing 10 of 21 passing attempts to average 31.6 yards per completion. This may not seem like such a big deal initially, but it was big enough for the media to pick up on the stat. You see, Tibow used to have painted to his black eye paint during his career at the University of Florida-John 3:16. His outspoken Christian testimony has drawn much discussion in the media since he became the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos, so statistics like this are hard to avoid. After the game, the humble but outspoken Tebow said, “First and foremost, I just want to thank my savior, the Lord, Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for the platform God has given me.”

As believers in Jesus Christ we all have a platform for which to share our Christian testimony (1 Cor. 3:6; Rom. 14:7). Be thankful for the platform God has given you to share the message of John 3:16!

Resources:
Newscore. 2012. Tebow’s Biblical Game: 316 Yards Invokes Key Verse. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com
Scripture taken from NKJV